Enthusiasm and Straightforwardness Joyous enthusiasm: the best way of facing life. True enthusiasm is full of a peaceful endurance. Our courage and endurance must be as great as our hope and our hope has no limits.  2 August 1954 * A steady hope helps much on the way.  15 August 1954 * Our hopes are never too great for manifestation. We cannot conceive of any thing that cannot be.  22 August 1954 * Straightforwardness shows itself as it is, without compromising. Transparency can come only as a result of perfect sincerity. Page ― 186 Illumined transparency: an effect of the Divine Grace.

Opinions of Others You are quite right in not allowing the moods and fancies of people to effect you. You must soar above all that in the constant feeling of the Divine's Presence, Love and Protection. Don't let anything from outside approach and disturb you. What people think, do or say is of little importance. The only thing that counts is your relation with the Divine.  30 April 1933 * It is always regrettable when one is open to the influence of another person. One shouldn't admit any influence except that of the Divine.  22 March 1934 * To feel hurt by what others do or think or say is always a sign of weakness and proof that the whole being

Devotion and Self-giving DEVOTION Devotion: modest and fragrant, it gives itself without seeking for anything in return. Devotional attitude: moderate and self-effacing, it gives remarkable fruit. A devotion that keeps concentrated and silent in the depths of the heart but manifests in acts of service and obedience, is more powerful, more true, more divine, than any shouting and weeping devotion. Sincere devotion is much more effective than the Ganges water. WORSHIP Worship: the form or outer expression of your devotion. Page ―103 True worship: total and constant without demand or exigence. OFFERING Life must

PART FIVE HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Judging Others The more a mind is ignorant, the more easily it judges everything it does not know or is incapable of understanding. I want the peace to come into your mind and also the quiet, patient wisdom which prevents one from jumping to hasty conclusions and judgments. It is always better to keep a quiet mind and to abstain from rushing to conclusions before you have the necessary information.  12 April 1932 * Tell your vital not to judge on appearances and to collaborate. All is well in the long run. You were wrong to be disturbed; that shows that suspicion was in your mind and heart. And if one is pe

You should not confuse a calm mind with a silent mind. You can calm your mind and stop its ordinary activity, but it may still be open to ideas coming from outside and that too disturbs the calm. And for the mind to be completely silent, you must not only stop its own activity but shut out all that comes from other minds. This is not easy. Moreover, you must learn to distinguish between a phenomenon of consciousness and a mental phenomenon. One can be conscious of an experience in such a way that this consciousness is not formulated into a thought or thoughts. This is very important if the mind is to remain absolutely quiet and silent. 26 September 1963 * But

The True Aim of Life Why are we on earth? To find the Divine who is in each of us and in all things. Only one thing is important, it is to find the Divine. For each one and for the whole world anything becomes useful if it helps to find the Divine. Life is meant for seeking the Divine. Life is realised when finding the Divine. Let this be our one need in life, to realise the Divine. Yes, to live in the consciousness of the Divine Presence is the only thing that matters. 2 June 1934 * To want only what the Divine wants in us and for us, is the one important thing. 5 April 1935 * The individual

Concentration The movement that stores up and concentrates is no less needed than the movement that spreads and diffuses.  13 April 1935 * Concentration does not aim for any effect, but is simple and persistent. Concentration on a precise goal is helpful to development. The more we concentrate on the goal, the more it blossoms forth and becomes precise. The Yogi knows by his capacity for a containing or dynamic identity with things and persons and forces.  11 April 1935 * “Knowledge can only come by conscious identity, for that is the only true knowledge,― existence aware of itself.” ¹―Sri Aurobindo There is always some

SPEECH AND PRACTICE It is not enough to know, you must practise. It is not enough to pretend, you must be.  15 November 1940 * On the path of Truth, in order to know more you must put into practice what you already know. A little bit of sincere practice is worth much more than a lot of written or spoken words.  July 1953 * A drop of practice is better than an ocean of theories, advices and good resolutions. 1968 Speak less, act more. Talk little, be true, act sincerely. To listen is good, but not sufficient ― you must understand. To understand is better, but still not sufficient ― you must act.  24 November 1969 *

NARROWNESS AND ONE-SIDEDNESS The whole trouble comes from the fact that you cannot harmonise with someone unless he is in agreement with your own ideas and his opinion and way of doing things are in conformity with yours. You must widen your consciousness and understand that everyone has his own law. It is necessary to find the ground of understanding and harmony in a happy combination of individual wills and not to try that all may be the same in an identical will and action. One of the chief obstacles to the establishment of a progressive harmony is our eagerness to prove to an opponent that he is wrong and we are right. I am happy about your new arrangement; let us h

Progress and Perfection in Work You will become more and more perfect in your work as the consciousness grows, increases, widens and is enlightened.              7 October 1934 * In all action, all work done, the degree of perfection depends upon the degree of consciousness. To work in the Divine's way is not easy for a blind and egoistic person like me. By that I mean: to work unegoistically and to keep myself open to your force so that it may work unhampered in me. Am I right? Yes, it is correct. Judging by that standard I have no right to work for you at all; but it is also not desirable, perhaps, to cease